I recently became friends with the Laurent family, who live near the Kobonal Haiti Mission. Heriode and Odimene Laurent are parents to seven children, including Amonise, 9, and Venise, 6. This family lives in dire poverty, residing in a house made of mud and sticks with no running water.

When I visit families, I often ask them what their daily lives are like. Amonise and Venise told me about the chores the do for the family, I asked them to take me to the place where they collect water – one of their primary responsibilities. As we walked down the side of a steep ravine, I was thankful I decided to wear my hiking boots — it was treacherous! I struggled, but Amonise and Venise didn’t seem daunted by the task, even though they had no shoes.

When they reached the water’s edge, they patiently waited for me to catch up. I couldn’t believe the two little girls had to go through this process everyday just to get water!

As I watched, they filled their five-gallon containers with dirty, contaminated water. Then, they had to carry that heavy load back up the mountain and all the way to their house. The water they collected and continue to use shouldn’t be used for drinking or other household activities because it can make people sick, but the Laurents have to do this to survive. This is why Kobonal’s water ministry is so important! It provides clean, safe water for families like theirs to drink!

Cross Catholic Outreach supporters and Kobonal Haiti Mission are teaming up to bring families like the Laurents safe housing and clean water. If you want to help families living in poverty in Haiti, please read about how you can make a difference through the Arise and Build Campaign. If you want to read more about Amonise and Venise’s life, please see our Facebook and Instagram pages for weekly updates!